Natural Home Remedies to Treat a Wound on a Cat

Written by jamie conrad

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You can treat your cat's minor wounds at home. (cat image by Pavel Vlasov from Fotolia.com)

Cats get wounded in a number of ways including bites, scratches and punctures. These wounds can become dirty and infected, if left untreated. If the wound is severe, treatment is best left to a veterinary professional, to prevent complications resulting from the wound. However, for minor wounds, treatment is easily and effectively accomplished by using simple items you have at home.

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Salt Compresses

Prepare a pot of warm water with one to two teaspoons of Epsom salts, which can be purchased at your local super store. Have an assistant help you hold your cat in a sink. Soak some gauze pads or gauze sponges in the salt solution. Hold the compress on your cat's wound for 10 minutes, to create a hot compress. Be sure the compress is not overly hot, as cat's have sensitive skin. For a dry, hot compress---for use on surgical wounds or other wounds that must be kept dry---place the wet pad or sponge inside a plastic sandwich bag, then apply to the skin for 10 minutes.

Cold compresses can be used to control bleeding and reduce swelling. Place crushed ice in a sandwich bag, then wrap the bag in one or two dish towels. Place the compress gently on the wound, and hold in place for five minutes.

Clipping the Fur and Soaking the Wound

Clipping your cat's fur allows you to reach the wound easily for cleaning the wound; it also prevents dirt, debris and fur from further exacerbating the wound. In a tub or sink, gently run or pour clean, lukewarm water over the cat's wound to clean the wound of dirt, debris and any fur left from clipping around the wound. Allow your cat's wound to soak in the water for five minutes, then run clean water over the wound again, before removing the cat from the water. If the wound cannot be soaked, for example, the wound is on the cat's head use a wet gauze pad to soak the wound. Repeat this procedure twice daily for a week.

Natural Disinfectants

Application of a disinfectant to a clean wound is imperative for keeping wounds germfree, so that they can heal. Break open the leaf of an aloe vera plant and use the juice as a natural disinfectant for the wound. According to the book, Think Like a Cat: How to Raise a Well-Adjusted Cat Not a Sour Puss, you also can apply honey to the wound by using a cotton swab, as honey has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. Both aloe and honey are non-toxic if your cat licks the wound.